Career and Education Opportunities for Shipping and Receiving Clerks in Rockford, Illinois

For those living in the Rockford, Illinois area, there are many career and education opportunities for shipping and receiving clerks. There are currently 37,840 jobs for shipping and receiving clerks in Illinois and this is projected to grow 4% to 39,460 jobs by 2016. This is better than the national trend for shipping and receiving clerks, which sees this job pool shrinking by about 6.6% over the next eight years. In general, shipping and receiving clerks verify and keep records on incoming and outgoing shipments.

Shipping and receiving clerks earn approximately $13 per hour or $28,040 annually on average in Illinois. Nationally they average about $13 per hour or $27,660 annually. Incomes for shipping and receiving clerks are not quite as good as in the overall category of Dispatching and Logistics in Illinois, and not quite as good as the overall Dispatching and Logistics category nationally.

There are two schools within twenty-five miles of Rockford where you can study to be a shipping and receiving clerk, among twelve schools of higher education total in the Rockford area. Shipping and receiving clerks usually hold a high school diploma or GED, so you can expect to spend only a short time studying to be a shipping and receiving clerk if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Shipping and Receiving Clerk

Shipping and Receiving Clerk video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, shipping and receiving clerks verify and keep records on incoming and outgoing shipments. They also prepare items for shipment.

Every day, shipping and receiving clerks are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they see details at a very fine level of focus.

It is important for shipping and receiving clerks to ready documents, such as work orders, bills of lading, and shipping orders to route materials. They are often called upon to record shipment data, such as weight and damages and discrepancies and recordkeeping purposes. They also requisition and store shipping materials and supplies to maintain inventory of stock. They are sometimes expected to meet and correspond with establishment representatives to rectify problems, such as damages and nonconformance to given requirements. Somewhat less frequently, shipping and receiving clerks are also expected to compute amounts, such as space available, and shipping, storage, and demurrage charges, using calculator or price list.

Shipping and receiving clerks sometimes are asked to deliver or route materials to departments, using work devices, such as handtruck or sorting bins. They also have to be able to decide on shipping method for materials, using knowledge of shipping procedures and rates and examine manifests and orders, to confirm accuracy of incoming or outgoing shipments. And finally, they sometimes have to pack and affix postage to ready materials for shipping, using work devices such as hand tools and postage meter.

Like many other jobs, shipping and receiving clerks must be thorough and dependable and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Rockford include:

Freight Representative. Expedite and route movement of incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments in airline, train, and trucking terminals, and shipping docks. Take orders from customers and arrange pickup of freight and cargo for delivery to loading platform. Prepare and examine bills of lading to determine shipping charges and tariffs.

Mail Clerk. Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Use hand or mail handling machines to time stamp, open, and route incoming mail; and address, seal, and affix postage to outgoing mail or packages. Duties may also include keeping necessary records and completed forms.

Procurement Clerk. Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.

Weighter. Weigh, measure, and check materials, supplies, and equipment for the purpose of keeping relevant records. Duties are primarily clerical by nature.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Shipping and Receiving Clerk Training

Highland Community College - Freeport, IL

Highland Community College, 2998 W Pearl City Rd, Freeport, IL 61032-9341. Highland Community College is a small college located in Freeport, Illinois. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 1,876 students. Highland Community College has a less than one year program in General Office Occupations and Clerical Services which graduated two students in 2008.

Kishwaukee College - Malta, IL

Kishwaukee College, 21193 Malta Rd, Malta, IL 60150-9699. Kishwaukee College is a small college located in Malta, Illinois. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 4,134 students. Kishwaukee College has a one to two year program in General Office Occupations and Clerical Services which graduated two students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Rockford, Illinois

Rockford, Illinois photo by Kranar_drogin

Rockford is situated in Winnebago County, Illinois. It has a population of over 157,272, which has grown by 4.8% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Rockford, 78, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Rockford are valued at $125,600 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, sixty-four new homes were built in Rockford, down from one hundred fifty-seven the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Rockford are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is metal and metal products, construction, and machinery. The average commute to work is about 20 minutes. More than 19.8% of Rockford residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 7.1%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Rockford is 17.6%, which is greater than Illinois's average of 10.5%.

The percentage of Rockford residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 50.0%, is less than both the national and state average. Abundant Life Assembly of God Church, South Park Covenant Church and Souls Harbor Church are among the churches located in Rockford. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Methodist Church.

Rockford is home to the McPhail Hall and the Mary McGaw Hall as well as Ken-Rock Park and Jamestown Park. Shopping malls in the area include Alpine Village Shopping Center, Eleventh Street Plaza Shopping Center and Fairview Shopping Center. Visitors to Rockford can choose from Extended Stay America - Rockford East, Courtyard Rockford and Hampton Inn Rockford for temporary stays in the area.